Hindsight
by StBridget
Summary: When Danny met Steve, he couldn't possibly know what the man would mean to him. Or could he? Companion to Foresight. McDanno slash.
1. Chapter 1

**Hawaii Five-0 is property of CBS and its creators.  
**

 **A/N: bswindle20 wanted to see Foresight from Danny's POV, which was hard because Danny didn't see it coming. So I had him look back instead. Hope you like it!**

Danny woke up to an empty bed. This wasn't unusual; he'd been waking up to an empty bed ever since his divorce was finalized. Now, however, the reasons were different. He wasn't waking up to an empty bed because he'd gone to bed alone; when he'd gone to sleep, there'd been a very warm, very willing body beside him. No, now he was waking up alone because his crazy SuperSEAL boyfriend insisted on getting up at the crack of dawn to go for a 20 mile swim, or whatever he did.

Danny smiled, thinking of Steve, picturing his tall, tanned, body with droplets of saltwater running down his chest as he leaned over to give Danny a good morning kiss. Just like he did every morning, Danny pictured himself running his tongue over Steve's pecs, licking up those droplets, and felt himself getting hard, just like he did every morning. Danny knew he'd resist, though, just like he did every morning. They weren't there yet, though Danny hoped they would be soon. He wondered, not for the first time, just exactly where they were and how in the world they had gotten there in the first place.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

It all started, Danny supposed, when he got the letter from Rachel's lawyer to amend the custody agreement so she could take Grace to Hawaii. Danny was completely blindsided. He called Rachel, demanding an explanation. "What's this about taking Grace to Hawaii?"

"Stan has a business deal there. We'll be there at least two years," Rachel replied.

"You can't take our daughter and move all the way across the country!" Danny said indignantly.

"I think you'll find I can," Rachel said coolly.

"I can't believe you'd do this to me!" Danny ranted. "First you limit me to every other weekend and once a week, and now you're taking Grace away altogether!"

"If you have a problem, I suggest you take it up with my lawyer," Rachel said, then hung up.

Danny stared at the phone in disbelief. How dare Rachel! She knew he didn't have the money to fight her on this. Danny tried anyway. He consulted his cut-rate, crappy lawyer, who said Rachel would most likely win.

"So, that's it?" Danny said. "Just like that, Rachel takes Grace 5,000 miles away, and I only get to see her for a week at Christmas and two weeks in the summer?"

"Unless you want to move to Hawaii," his lawyer told him.

So Danny did. And he definitely hadn't seen that coming.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

In hindsight, Danny probably shouldn't have expected to be welcomed with open arms by HPD. But hey, he was a decorated detective from Newark PD with 87 solved homicides under his belt. Surely that afforded him some respect. Okay, Danny was an outsider, a "haole" they called him—a term he still objected to—on a force made up of mostly natives. And okay, looking back, he probably had quite a chip on his shoulder—Danny didn't want to be in Hawaii, and he made that fact known in no uncertain terms to anybody and everybody who'd listen, and quite a few people who wouldn't. Still, he didn't deserve to be stuck with all shit cases. Here Danny was, an experienced detective—did he mention the 87 solved homicides?—dealing with gang shootings and drug deals gone bad and domestic disputes ending horribly. Basic stuff, not deserving of his skills.

Danny did see John McGarrett's murder as his big break. Sure, he only got it because he _was_ an outsider—McGarrett was a respected cop, and half of HPD was up in arms about his murder. The higher-ups thought it was best to put an "objective party" on the case, one who couldn't be accused of being on a revenge kick. That meant Danny. He got a lot of resentment for being the chosen one, but Danny was determined to use the opportunity to prove his worth.

Danny couldn't possibly have known what he was getting into. How could he have foreseen that he would be drawn into a life-altering web of international smuggling and arms dealing? How could Danny have known his short-lived career with HPD was about to come to an end, only to be exchanged for a high-powered—and highly dangerous—position on the governor's task force? Most of all, how could he expect the role Steve McGarrett would play in the rest of his life, not just professionally, but personally?

Danny _didn_ ' _t_ know any of this when he responded to a neighbor's report of an intruder at the McGarrett house. How could he? He couldn't see the future. What he could see was a gigantic oaf of a man, who could be a murderer for all Danny knew, pointing a gun at him and trying to remove evidence from his crime scene.

Maybe Danny should have expected something when a flash of _something_ —looking back, Danny might even call it recognition—crossed the intruder's face. Maybe there was a little thrill Danny couldn't identify that raced up his spine when their eyes met. Maybe. If there was, Danny buried under indignation at the intrusion, exacerbated by the high-handed way the interloper—Steve McGarrett, the victim's son, or so he claimed—Danny was distrustful, to say the least—brushed his concerns off and went over his head with the governor to gain jurisdiction over the case.

Danny had told himself he was done with it. He handed over his files and washed his hands of the matter. It was Steve McGarrett's problem, him and that task force of his. He wouldn't admit to himself back then that he didn't _want_ to be done with it—not with the case, and not with the man.

In retrospect, Danny knows his resistance to joining the task force and becoming Steve's partner was just for show. The thought of being part of a high-profile task force was thrilling—maybe Danny would finally get the respect he deserved. But the thought of being partners with this larger-than-life SuperSEAL was thrilling, too, and not just professionally. Even back then, Danny could admit now, there'd been something about Steve's bearing that had drawn him in, not to mention the fact that the muscled body and the tattoos were a very nice package, aesthetically speaking. But those were just fleeting thoughts, not anything Danny would dream of acting on.

Certainly, that first day, Danny would have told you he had no desire whatsoever to have Steve McGarrett in his life as more than a work partner, and even that Danny was sorely regretting. The man was infuriating—he drove like a maniac, he had no regard for proper police procedure, and he got Danny shot and refused to apologize. Worse, he put Danny in a wristlock! Clearly, Danny had no choice but to hit him. After the punch, Steve had looked at Danny in a daze that was from more than the impact of fist with bone, and Danny looked back. There it was, just for an instant, that same _something_ that had shot through Danny in the garage. Just as fast, it was gone.

Danny was completely surprised when, after the smoke had cleared away and Danny was writing one of the first of what he would soon learn were many reports trying to justify Steve's actions, Steve dropped a bundle of papers on it. Danny was stunned when he saw the reservations at a fancy resort with tickets for Grace to swim with the dolphins. If this was an apology, Steve McGarrett certainly went all out. Deep down, Danny knew even then he wanted it to be more. That was the only reason he could possibly think of for asking Steve along.

Danny freely admitted he was nervous as hell about how Grace would react to Steve. It was only natural—this man was spending the weekend with them, after all. Danny refused to delve into the deeper reasons behind _why_ this man he barely knew was intruding on sacred time with his daughter. Danny was a bit disappointed when Grace didn't greet Steve with open arms, but it was understandable; he'd raised her to have a healthy distrust of strangers, even ones vetted by her parents.

Danny was gratified to see Grace warm up to Steve over dinner. She prattled on about wanting to be a cheerleader, and Danny pretended to be paying attention, all the while watching Steve out of the corner of his eye. Steve, for his part, wasn't even hiding the way he was looking at Danny, and Danny fought hard not to blush.

Grace warmed even more towards Steve while they watched a movie, happily explaining the plot to him while he listened attentively, as if understanding the plot to The Princess and the Frog was the most important thing in the world. Looking back, that might have been the moment Danny felt his walls completely crumbling. Or maybe it was when Grace said goodnight, calling him "Uncle Steve", and Danny's heart swelled.

After Grace went to bed, things were awkward between Danny and Steve until Danny suggested watching a game. Even then, they stayed firmly on their own sides of the couch, eyes fixed on the game, bantering back and forth, but refusing to acknowledge anything more between them, although Danny wanted nothing more than to mold himself to Steve's side and see if he was as good a fit as he thought he'd be.

Things got even more awkward when Danny realized there was only one bed in the second bedroom. He offered to sleep with Grace, but Steve suggested they share. Danny's heart thudded in equal parts dread and excitement. He tried to appear detached, tossing off a comment about Steve snoring, and snarking back when Steve told him not to hog the covers. "Don't worry babe," he said. "It's too hot for covers." He regretted the words as soon as he said them. They brought images of him and Steve on top of the covers, naked, bodies bathed in silver by the moonlight, sweat glistening off their bodies, and not just from the heat. He covered by dashing into the bathroom to get ready for bed.

Once they were in bed, each keeping carefully to their own side, Danny found it surprisingly easy to fall asleep. He expected to be awake for hours, intensely aware of the body next to him, alert because it was a stranger and, though this was buried deep down, because it was someone he was attracted to. Instead, Danny dropped off almost immediately, finding Steve's presence comforting and strangely familiar. That right there should have been a clue there was more to their relationship than met the eye.

Sometime later, Danny became aware of someone stroking his hair. He leaned into it, not really thinking about who it was. The hand jerked away. "Mmm, don't stop. Feels good," he said sleepily. The hand resumed its stroking. Danny turned to lean better into it, his eyes fluttering open, looking straight into Steve's. Danny's eyes widened in surprise. Why was _Steve_ stroking his hair? He opened his mouth to yell about stupid Neanderthals with no sense of personal space, then decided fuck it. He was too tired, and it just felt too good. He smiled softly at Steve. "I like it when you do that," he said. Whoa, where did that come from? It was bad enough he was enjoying having a near stranger stroke his hair—though, to be fair, he was already starting to think of Steve as a friend, if not more—he wasn't going to feed the oaf's overblown ego, too.

"I'm glad," Steve replied. He reached out his other arm to draw Danny towards him. Danny resisted at first—stroking his hair was one thing, cuddling was quite another. That was going a bit too far. But Steve's chest looked really comfortable, and Steve's arms were strong and warm around him and had he mentioned he was tired? Danny melted into to Steve and drifted back to sleep. Looking back, Danny knew at that point he was officially gone on Steve.

Danny should have thought about what Grace would think to find him sleeping with a man he'd barely met. She leaped onto the bed at 7 am, clamoring for them to get up so she could swim with the dolphins. Danny panicked. What was he going to tell her? Why _was_ he sleeping with Steve anyway? Danny felt Steve squeeze his shoulder and relaxed. Grace didn't seem to find it strange, and Steve didn't seem bothered, so why should he be? Begging for five more minutes of sleep seemed much more important.

Neither of Danny's companions seemed inclined to let him, though. Steve yanked the covers off. Danny reluctantly sat up. "Okay, fine, I'm up. Neanderthals, both of you. No respect for a man's right to sleep in on the weekends." Danny couldn't keep the fondness out of his voice. He could pretend it was all for Grace, but he knew it wasn't.

Danny was impressed with Steve's ability to keep up with an excited eight-year-old. Steve seemed as delighted as Danny with Grace's joy at swimming with the dolphins, and Steve even let Grace coax him into the hotel pool while Danny sat in a lounge chair and watched. He couldn't keep the grin off his face as he watched them splash about. When Steve flopped into the chair next to Danny, Danny teased him about being as much of a child as Grace. This time, there was no denying the fondness was all for Steve.

Over dinner, Grace asked Steve to teach her to surf. "No, he will not," Danny said firmly.

"But why not?" Grace whined.

"Yeah, Danno, why not?" Steve parroted. Danny didn't even balk at the nickname coming from Steve's lips and hunh, when did that happen? He refused to think about the implications and focused on the matter at hand.

"Why not?" Danny said, arms waving animatedly. "Because there's sharks, and too much sun, and too much sand, and it's way too dangerous!"

"Danny," Steve said, "I've been surfing since I was old enough to stand, and I've never seen a shark. At least, not while surfing."

Danny caught the qualification. "But you have seen them."

"Yes, but not this close to shore, and I've never known anyone who's been bitten by one. I assure you, she'll be perfectly safe."

"Please, Danno?" Grace pleaded, turning her best puppy dog eyes on him.

"Yeah, please Danno?" Steve echoed. "I promise, I'll take good care of her." Oh, god, he was giving Danny puppy dog eyes, too. Why was that so hard to resist?

"Okay, fine," Danny relented, "but only if I'm there." That he'd trust Steve with his daughter at all should have been yet another sign that Danny was falling fast.

After dinner, the three of them watched another Disney movie. Grace was tired and lay across Danny's lap. Danny decided that was a pretty good idea, so he lay back, too, head resting in Steve's lap. He felt Steve harden slightly, and smirked to himself, but pretended not to notice, and willed away his own attempt to become half-hard. Wouldn't do to let Grace know. Instead, he concentrated on how good it felt to have Steve's hand once again running through his hair.

Eventually, Danny yawned and suggested bed. This time, there was no pretense of taking separate sides. Danny immediately tucked himself into Steve's side, marveling at how right it felt. Steve leaned down to press a kiss on Danny's forehead, but Danny decided that wouldn't do and tilted his head up to meet Steve's lips.

The kiss was chaste, but Danny had never had one that felt so right. Somehow, in just a few short days, the man had moved from intruder in his crime scene, to overbearing, unwanted partner, to friend, to—whatever they were now. Danny couldn't resist one more brief kiss. "Goodnight, Steve."

The morning came all too soon. Danny was briefly confused to find a body next to him, but realization soon dawned. Oh, yeah, Steve. And man, did it feel good waking up next to him. Too bad he had to go back to his crappy apartment and his lumpy, lonely sofa bed. But for now, Steve was still there, gazing at him fondly. "Morning, sleepyhead," Steve greeted him, daring another kiss.

Steve intended it to be brief like the previous night's, but Danny wasn't having it. He pressed his lips more firmly to Steve, deepening the kiss slightly, though it was still chaste. When they parted, Danny couldn't help letting out a disappointed sigh.

"What's on your mind?" Steve asked.

"Nothing. Just. . ." Danny hesitated, wondering whether to bring up what he'd been thinking or pretend he wasn't having those thoughts. He settled on a half-truth. "Just not looking forward to getting back to the real world. This place is a lot better than my apartment."

Danny never dreamed the next thing that came out of Steve's mouth. He hadn't even dared hope anything like what he heard.

"So don't go back," Steve said. "Move in with me instead."

That was the last thing Danny expected. "You have got to be kidding me!"

"I'm serious," Steve said. "I've got plenty of room. Grace would even have her own room when she comes to visit."

"Steven, you're out of your mind! You don't go asking people you just met to move in with you!" There was no way Danny was going to let on the idea actually sounded pretty good to him. After all, Steve had to be nuts.

"Why not?" Steve asked. "I think we've already proven we get along just fine."

Yep, the man was certifiably insane. Why should this be a surprise? Danny should know that by now. "Why not?" Danny echoed. "We work together! We're already with each other all day! Why would you want to be together all night, too?" Danny had to be crazy too, because, God help him, he was actually considering it.

Steve took a deep breath before giving voice to his thoughts. "Because you're the best thing that ever happened to me. When I came back to Hawaii, I knew things were going to be different, better. Losing my Dad, that was the worst thing that's ever happened, but if Hesse hadn't shot him, I never would have met you. I know it's only been a few days, but I want to see where this goes, and I don't want to waste any more time."

Danny was floored by the sincerity in his voice. He wanted to cave in, to say yes, but he was hesitant, the wounds from his divorce still fresh. He weighed his words carefully. "I don't know what to say. You sound like you've thought about this, but this took me completely by surprise. I was prepared to hate you, then you go and get Grace and me a weekend in a suite, and I thought my heart would burst. I had no idea why I asked you to go along, no idea I'd be sharing a bed with you, no idea I'd even be considering your crazy proposal."

"We don't have to share a bed," Steve said. "I've got two spare bedrooms."

Unh-uh. Steve had asked, and Danny wasn't going to let him back out. "No. No. If we do this, we do this right. All in."

"So, what do you say?" Steve said. "In or out?"

Danny didn't even have to think about it. "In. Definitely in."

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

And that brought him to where he was now, a place he'd never dreamed he'd be when he first set foot on this god-forsaken rock in the middle of the ocean, but maybe he should have seen it coming. Maybe he should have realized from the start that this man who was now leaning over him, those damn tempting water droplets rolling down his chest like always, would change his life. Maybe it was time to go full speed ahead and see where this led. Maybe it was time to stop resisting.

Danny grinned wickedly and ran his tongue down Steve's chest, licking up the salty remnants of his swim. Yep, definitely time.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

A/N: I think that leaves it nice and open for some spice next chapter. ;) We'll see how it goes.

A/N: I want you to know, I was so eager to finish this, I actually pushed the cat off my lap, which never happens. LOL.


	2. The Spice :)

**Here you go. Straight up PWP. :)  
**

Danny licked a stripe down Steve's chest, licking up the water droplets left over from the SEAL's swim. The resulting moan from Steve was gratifying. Determined to hear more, Danny continued lower, tongue tracing the ridges of Steve's abdomen. Steve let out another moan. God, Danny could listen to that all day. The detective paused his downward path to plunge his tongue into Steve's belly button. The moans were getting louder. Danny made up his mind he was going to make the stoic, reserved Commander scream.

Danny retraced his path with one long sweep of his tongue, ending by giving Steve the filthiest kiss imaginable. Danny's tongue plundered Steve's mouth, dominating his tongue. The blond pushed at the brunet's chest urgently. Steve obediently rolled onto his back. Danny moved back down Steve's body, leaving a trail of kisses this time. Danny wasn't sure which was more gratifying—the moans from before, or the little whimpers and gasps Steve was making now.

Danny tugged at the waistband of Steve's board shorts, and Steve lifted his hips. Danny drew them down slowly, teasing himself with every inch revealed. He paused to admire the man spread out beneath him. Steve was truly gorgeous—acres of tanned skin and hard muscle, the intricate ink of

his tattoos emphasizing his strong biceps and broad shoulders, those ever-changing eyes blown wide with lust, that utterly kissable mouth open and panting. And he was all Danny's.

Steve tugged at the hem of Danny's shirt, and Danny obligingly pulled it over his head, slowly, watching Steve's eyes eagerly drink in every inch as it was revealed. "Like what you see?" Danny smirked.

Steve licked his lips. "Yeah, but I want to see more. I want to see all of you, Danno."

"That can be arranged." Danny rolled off Steve to remove his boxers. Danny had no sooner gotten them off than Steve pounced, looming over the shorter man and grinding their hips together.

It was Danny's turn to moan. "God, Steve, more. I want you in me."

"With pleasure." Steve reached into the nightstand to retrieve a bottle of lube. He slicked up his fingers and ran one lightly around Danny's hole. Steve pushed the finger slowly in.

Danny thrust back against it. "More."

"Patience, Danny." Steve took his time, thrusting gently with one finger, then gradually adding a second and third, taking great care to thoroughly stretch his partner. Danny was a mess by the time Steve added the third finger, panting and moaning incoherently, way beyond the ability to form words.

Steve removed his fingers and replaced them with his cock, slowly, agonizingly slowly pushing in, inch by torturous inch. Danny wanted none of that. He wrapped his legs around Steve's back and drew him deeper, gasping at the sensation.

Steve began to move, and Danny felt himself be carried away. Nothing had ever felt so good, so right. It was more than just the physical. Danny felt a swelling of emotion more powerful than he'd felt in a long time. He reached up and drew Steve into a frantic kiss, desperately trying to pour everything he felt into it.

Steve's thrusts sped up, and Danny climbed higher and higher until he finally exploded into the most powerful orgasm of his life. Steve grunted as he followed, collapsing onto Danny in a boneless heap. The part of Danny that wasn't lost in a post-coital haze was disappointed at not making his partner scream his name, but he figured there was plenty of time for that—a lifetime with any luck.

They lay there, panting, a few minutes, Steve resting his head on Danny's chest, Danny wrapping his arms around Steve and holding tight. He never wanted to let go. Looking back, maybe he hadn't seen this coming, but looking forward, he couldn't see anything _but_ Steve. Danny had to let him know that, however, unexpected, this was real, this was forever, and there was only one way to do that.

"I love you, Steve."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

A/N: So this is by far the most explicit I've ever written, and it's still pretty mild. Please leave comments and let me know how I did and how I can improve; this is definitely not my strong point. Thanks!


End file.
